<Begin Segment 28>

AI: So, it's October 26, 2003 and we're continuing our interview with Art Shibayama. And Art, before the break that we took, you had been talking about your service with the U.S. army and that you were sent to Germany. And so I wanted to ask you a little bit more about some of your experience there while you were in Germany.

AS: Well, we, I was assigned to, to a detachment that used to do all the paperwork of medical supply for the whole European command. And we used to handle top secret documents. So I think my, the section leader, who was a warrant officer, tried to get me citizenship. So he asked me, he said, "Hey, how come you're not citizen?" So, when I told him my story, what happened to me, he said, "Oh," he said, "I'll get you one." And the paper went to Washington, came back saying that I was denied because I didn't have a legal entry and they advised me to go to Chicago immigration after I got out. So, so then I went to the immigration in Chicago after I got out and their... they never had a case like mine, so they didn't know what to do. And they, they told him that, told me to... that they were gonna find out what to do, and they will call me back. So they sent me home. And after two years, the immigration called me back and they said, "Well," they says, "everything is arranged. You have to go to Canada and re-enter. Go to Canadian immigration and then come back and then that way you can get your legal entry and then bring the letter back to me." So that's what I did. I went back and I said, "Okay, here's the letter, since I just got out of the army," and said, "Can I get my citizenship?" He said, "No," he says, "you can get your permanent residency right away, but to get your citizenship you have to wait five years." And the thing is, you know, after that, I was in no hurry because I had my permanent residency so they can't deport me any more, and so I was in no hurry. But then in 1971 I was thinking about moving to California and I figured I didn't want to go through the same thing all over again, so I went back to the immigration and got my citizenship. And that was in 1970, '71, '70.

AI: Did you have any trouble at that time when you applied for the citizenship?

AS: No. No trouble at all then.

AI: So that's...

AS: But the funny thing is, I moved to California in 1971 and we got together with some of the Japanese Peruvians, we had a kind of reunion. And this fellow asked me, he says, "Did you get, were you in the army?" And I said, "Yeah." And he says, "Did you get your citizenship?" And I said, "No." I said, "Not in the army." So he says, "How come?" I says, "Well, I applied for my citizenship -- I mean, my section leader tried to get me citizenship in November 1953," but I said, "I was denied because I didn't have legal entry." And he said he received his citizenship November 1953 the same year, same month, same year I was denied and he got it while he was in the army. Then another fellow said that he got drafted in 1954 which was a year later, a few months later and he said that he got his permanent residency 1954 and then in '55, the following year they told him, "Well, since you are in the army, we'll waive the five-year wait and give you citizenship in '55." And here I had to wait five years even in 1956.

AI: So the three of you, all three were Japanese Peruvians, all three of you were brought into the United States the same way --

AS: Same way, exactly.

AI: -- but all three of you were drafted into the army, but each of you were treated differently.

AS: Uh-huh.

AI: And you were denied --

AS: In fact, one of the fellows came on the same boat --

AI: Is that right?

AS: -- I came on.

AI: So, it seemed like there was no explanation for why you had to wait so long, why you were denied.

AS: That's right. Like one hand doesn't know what the other hand is doing.

AI: So, same circumstances but different treatment.

AS: That's right.

<End Segment 28> - Copyright © 2003 Densho. All Rights Reserved.